Homebuyers and Sellers Timeline

Home Buying Timeline

Step 1: Decision to Buy

Congratulations! You have decided to make your dream of owning a home into a reality. You are about to embark on a journey toward the American dream of owning your own home.

Step 2: Plan a Budget

Before you begin the search for your dream home, decide how much you can comfortably spend.

Step 3: Contact a Real Estate Professional

Once you've assessed your spending qualifications, you will need to find a real estate professional.

Step 4: Shop Around for Lenders

With your real estate professional chosen, you now have someone who can guide you through the process of securing a mortgage lender.

Step 5: View Homes and Choose

You are now ready and armed with your pre-qualification or pre-approval to find the home of your dreams.

Step 6: Make an Offer/Accept Offer

You've finally found the home of your dreams. You're ready to put your money where your mouth is – but wait – before you sign on the dotted line, before you spend the money your lender has provided and before you start thinking about interior and exterior design, find out a few things first.

Step 7: Go to Closing

The road to closing is short, with only six major steps. Generally, these steps are handled at your title company office.

Home Selling Timeline

Step 1: Decision to Sell

Your house is too small. Your house is too big. It’s in the city and you want to live in the country, or it’s in the country and you want to live in the city.

Step 2: Select Your Price and Contact a Real Estate Professional

You are more likely to benefit by determining a fair value and sticking close to it than by asking an unrealistic figure.

Step 3: Home Showings

Your house should always be available for a potential buyer to see, even though it occasionally may be inconvenient for you.

Step 4: Accept Offer or Counter

A valid real estate contract must be in writing and be freely offered by the buyer and accepted by the seller. All parties to the contract must be legally competent to do business. Money or other valuable consideration needs to be exchanged for title to the property.

Step 5: Go to Closing

As the seller, you have relatively little to do at this point. Avoid common glitches by keeping abreast of progress on both sides.